Room service table



July 26, 1932. J. w. ALLEN ROOM SERVICE TABLE Filed March 12, 1928 Patented July 26, 1932 UNITED STATES JOHN W. ALLEN, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA ROOM snnvrcn TABLE Application filed. March 12,

My invention relates to a room service table,

i. e., a table that may be conveniently employed in serving meals and refreshments from the main dining rooms or kitchens of hotels, clubs and passenger vessels to the occupa-nts of the apartments, sleeping rooms or staterooms.

Further objects of my invention are to provide a room service table of the character referred to that is relatively light in weight and capable of being converted into a tray so that dishes, tableware, and the like may be carried between the kitchen or dining room and the sleeping rooms or apartments where the service is given; further, to provide a room service table having drop leaves that may be utilized for increasing the area of the table top and said leaves being capable of be ing shifted into vertical positions so as to form a low wall or ledge around the edge of the table to prevent the dishes and tableware from sliding off the table in the event that the latter is tilted, and which condition may occur where the table is used on board passenger vessels; and further, to provide a room service table that may be readily disassembled and taken apart in order that it may occupy comparatively little space when packed for storage or transportation.

A further object of my invention is to provide a room service table having areadily detachable pad that overlies the top of the table and the drop leaves on the edges thereof, said pad serving as a silencer that is positioned beneath the tablecloth or like covering and also serving to minimize the breakage of dishes that are positioned on the table top while the latter is converted into a tray that is carried to and from the apartments, staterooms, and the like.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts that will hereinafter be more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of a room service table of my improved construction with the drop leaves occupying positionsin the same plane with the table top. w

1928. Serial N0. 260,963.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the table.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged horizontal section taken approximately on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view looking against the underside of a portion of one of the drop leaves and showing the turn-button that is utilized for holding said drop leaf in horizontal position.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross section taken on the line'55'of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is an elevational view of the lower portion of one of the table legs.

Fig. 7 is a detail plan view of one end of tuhe pad that is detachably applied to the table Fig. Sis an elevational view of parts of the drop leaves and showing means utilized for locking the same when elevated to combine with the table top in providing a tray. Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawing which illustrates a practical embodiment of my invention,10, 1O designate blocks that form the base of the table and secured to the central portions of said blocks and projecting upwardly therefrom are legs 11 that are preferably formed of light weight meta-l tubing.

The upper ends of the legs 11 are detachably seated in sockets 12 and which latter are secured to the underside of reinforcing strips or panels 13, preferably of wood and which are transverselyarranged on the underside of the table top 1%. This table top is preferably formed of wood, either a single piece or a veneer, and arranged on the underside thereof between the strips or panels 13, is a narrow reinforcing strip or panel 15. The table top is preferably square or rectangular in shape and said top is relatively thin, in order to minimize the weight of the entire structure.

The upper ends of braces 16, preferably flat metal bars or straps, are detachably secured to the underside of the central portion of the strip 15 and the lower ends of these 7 braces are bifurcated, as designated by 17, and said bifurcated ends engage the intermediate portions of the legs 11 and are detachably connected thereto, preferably by means of bolts 18, the threaded ends of which receive winged nuts 19. The upper ends of the legs 11 are locked in the sockets 12 by set screws 20. Connected by suitable hinges 21 to the sides of the table top 14%., are drop leaves 22 and similar drop leaves 23 are connected by hinges to the ends of the table top.

Pivotally mounted on the underside of the table top adjacent to its edges are short fingers 2d of either wood or metal and of the nature of turn-buttons and which fingers, when swung into position so as to project outwardly from the table top, serve as supports for the drop leaves 22 and 23 when the same are swung into the same horizontal plane with table top 14:, (see Fig. 4). hen the fingers orturn-buttons 24; are swung inward beyond the edges of the table top, the hinged members 22 and 23 may be swung freely into position so as to project upwardly from the edge of the table top or so as to depend therefrom (see dotted lines, Fig. 2).

In order to lock the ends of the drop leaves 22 and 23 to each other when the same are swung into vertical positions projecting upwardly from the edge of the table top when the latter is conver'ted into a tray, hooks 25 that are pivotally mounted on the ends of the drop leaves 22 engage fixed hooks 26 that project from the ends of the drop leaves 23 (see Fig. 8).

In order to provide a pad and silencer for the table top, a section 27 of relatively thick fabric or material such as felt is formed of such size as to completely cover the table top and the drop leaves 22 and 23 and the edges of this are suitably bound and provided with short loops 28, preferably of cord.

The means for holding the combined pad and silencer on the table comprises short retractile coil springs 29, the inner ends of which are secured to the underfaces of the drop leaves 22 and 23 near their inner edges and the outer edges of which coil springs terminate in hooks 30 that are adapted to engage the flexible loops 28. These coil springs act to yieldingly retain the pad in proper position upon the table top and the drop leaves and at the same time said springs will give sufiiciently to permit the drop leaves to be swung from one position to another while the edges of said pad are connected to the hooks 30 by the loops 28.

hen my improved service table is utilized for carrying food-containing dishes and tableware to an apartment, stateroom, or the like, the drop leaves 22 and 23 are swung upward to form short vertically disposed walls or ledges on the edges of the table and the hooks 25 are engaged in hooks 26 to lock said leaves in their vertical positions. The food-containing dishes and tableware are now placed in the table top, which forms the bottom of the tray, and the latter, as well as the short walls at the edges thereof are covered by the pad 27 and the table may now be readily lifted and carried to the apartment or stateroom in the same manner that a serving tray is carried. Inasmuch as the legs 11 and the braces 16 are spaced apart, the arm and hand of the person carrying the table may readily be positioned beneath the center of the table.

hen the table has been placed in the apartment or stateroom where the service is to be made, the hooks 25 are disengaged from hooks 26 and the drop leaves are permitted to swing downward so as to depend from the edges of the table, or if the table is to be used for serving two persons, the drop leaves may be arranged in the same plane with the table top and supported in such position by swinging the turn-buttons 24: outwardly into positions beneath the drop leaves, thus materially increasing the area of the table top. Obviously when the table is made ready for service, a tablecloth or like cover is arranged over the pad and which latter covers the table top and the drop leaves.

When it is desired to disassemble or take down the table for the purpose of storage or transportation, the braces 16 are detached from the underside of the table top l l and the legs 11 and said legs are disconnected from the table top by loosening the set screws 20. Thus the table may be disassembled and packed or stored within a comparatively small space.

The pad 27 which functions as a silencer and which is utilized as a cushion to minimize breakage of dishes and glassware that are placed on the table may be easily and quickly detached from the hooks 30, thereby enabling the pad, when soiled, to be quickly removed andv laundered.

A room service table of my improved construction is comparatively simple, is inexpensive of manufacture, may be readily taken apart or set up for use, and is very effective in performing the functions for which it is intended.

It will be understood that minor changes in the size, form and construction of the various parts of my improved room service table may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a room service table, a table top, a pair of sockets arranged on the underside of said table top, said sockets being located adjacent to the ends of the table top on the longitudinal center line thereof, legs having their upper ends detachably seated in said sockets, a transversely disposed block secured to the lower end of each leg, inclined braces having their upper ends detachably secured to the underside of the table top adjacent to its center, the lower outer ends of which braces are bifurcated and straddle the intermediate portions of the le s and means for detachably securing the Iufurcated lower ends of said braces to said legs.

2. In a room service table, a table top, a pair of sockets arranged on the underside of said table top, said sockets being located adjacent to the ends of the table top on the longitudinal center line thereof, legs having their upper ends detachably seated in said sockets, a transversely disposed block secured to the lower end of each leg, inclined braces having their upper ends detachably secured to the underside of the table top adjacent to its center, the lower outer ends of which braces are bifurcated and straddle the intermediate portions of the legs, means for detachably securing the bifurcated lower ends of said braces to said legs, leaves hinged to the sides and the ends of said table top and adapted to swing upwardly and downwardly into vertical positions and means carried by the ends of said leaves for securing the same to each other when swung upwardly into vertical positions.

3. In a room service table, a table top, transversely disposed reenforcing members arranged on the underside of said table top adjacent to its ends, a longitudinally disposed reenforcing member arranged on the underside of the central portion of said table top between said transversely disposed reenforcing members, sockets secured to the transversely disposed reenforcing members at the ends of said longitudinally disposed.

reenforcing member, legs having their upper ends detachably seated in said socket, a transversely disposed block secured to the lower end of each leg, inclined braces having their upper ends detachably secured to the central portion of the longitudinally disposed reenforcing member, the lower ends of which braces are bifurcated and engage the intermediate portions of said legs and means for detachably securing the lower ends of said braces to said legs.

4. In a room service table, a table top, transversely disposed reenforcing members arranged on the underside of said table top adjacent to its ends, a longitudinally disposed reenforcing member arranged on the underside of a central portion of said table top between said transversely disposed reenforcing members, sockets secured to the transversely disposed reenforcing members at the ends of said longitudinally disposed reenforcing member, legs having their upper ends detachably seated in said socket, a transversely disposed block secured to the lower end of each leg, inclined braces having their upper ends detachably secured to the central portion of the longitudinally disposed reenforcing member, the lower ends of which braces are bifurcated and engage the intermediate portions of said legs, means for detachably securing the lower ends of said braces to said legs, leaves hinged to the sides and ends of said table top, which leaves are adapted to be swung upwardly and downwardly into vertical positions and means carried by the ends of said leaves for securing the same to each other when swung upwardly into vertical positions. I

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

JOHN W. ALLEN. 

